FTSE 100 loses all its 2026 gains as Middle East conflict hits shares, and UK borrowing costs reach highest since 2008 – as it happened

Shares in London are suffering an end-of-week sell-off, following a report that the US is to send more troops to the Middle East.The blue-chip FTSE 100 share index is now down 90 points, or 0.9%, at 9970 points, back below the 10,000-point mark. That’s its lowest level since 5 January, as the Iran war wipes out almost all of its gains during 2026.Energy company BP (-3

FCA investigates collapsed lender MFS amid £1.3bn mortgage scandal

The UK’s financial regulator has launched an investigation into Market Financial Solutions (MFS), the mortgage lender that collapsed last month amid allegations of fraud.The move follows the granting of a £1.3bn worldwide asset-freezing order on MFS founder Paresh Raja on Wednesday, as creditors successfully gained court orders in London and Dubai barring the tycoon from dissipating assets.On Friday, the Financial Conduct Authority said it had “opened an enforcement investigation” into the stricken mortgage lender, which borrowed £1.3bn from a string of financial companies and slumped into administration in February

Fire experts ‘kept awake’ over growing hazard of lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries represent a new technological hazard that one fire science expert has said keeps him awake at night, as fire service chiefs warn the ubiquity of the batteries in everyday products is outpacing public understanding and safety regulations.The blaze that devastated a historic building in Glasgow and resulted in the closure of Central Station, Scotland’s largest rail interchange, is believed to have started in a shop selling vapes, which are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Glasgow’s Central Station has since reopened.The latest data reveals a sharp increase in battery-related fires across Scotland, while firefighters in London attend an e-bike or e-scooter fire every other day.Paul Christensen, a professor of pure and applied electrochemistry at the University of Newcastle, underlined that, while the probability of a fire from a lithium-ion battery is very low, the hazard is “very, very high, as we’ve seen with this fire in Glasgow”

Essex police pause facial recognition camera use after study finds racial bias

Essex police have paused the use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology after a study found cameras were significantly more likely to target black people than people of other ethnicities.The move to suspend use of the AI-enabled systems was revealed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which regulates the use of the technology deployed so far by at least 13 police forces in London, south and north Wales, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Hampshire, Bedfordshire, Suffolk, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Surrey and Sussex.The ICO said Essex police had paused LFR deployments “after identifying potential accuracy and bias risks” and warned other forces to have mitigations in place. LFR systems are either mounted to fixed locations or deployed in vans. In January, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced the number of LFR vans would increase five-fold, with 50 available to every police force in England and Wales

Coroner ‘cannot be satisfied’ that Ricky Hatton intended to take his own life

A coroner has said she “cannot be satisfied” that British former boxing world champion Ricky Hattonintended to take his own life.Hatton, 46, was found dead in his home on 14 September, with the inquest concluding that the official cause of his death was hanging.But the veteran boxer “was the best he had been in years” in the lead-up to his death, his family told Stockport coroner’s court.Hatton’s body was found in his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, after police received a call from a concerned neighbour, later revealed to have been his manager, Paul Speak.Hatton was last seen by family members on Friday 12 September, when he took his daughters and granddaughter to a pub for a meal, the court heard

NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder won’t visit White House, citing ‘timing issue’

The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder will not visit the White House during their trip to the nation’s capital this weekend.A Thunder spokesperson confirmed Friday that a “timing issue” will prevent the team from making the traditional appearance. Oklahoma City face the Wizards in Washington on Saturday.“We have been in touch with the White House and we are appreciative and grateful for the communication we have had, but the timing just didn’t work out,” the Thunder said in a statement shared with the Athletic.Championship teams across the major American sports have traditionally received invitations from the president to visit the White House and celebrate their victories